Arctic Seals Face Extinction Due to Climate Change
Arctic seals in Sweden face extinction as climate change accelerates ice melt. Bird populations decline globally while conservation efforts show success with green sea turtles. The Arctic warms four times faster than the rest of the world.
Arctic seals in Sweden are now facing extinction. Climate change and human activities are the main threats according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The harbor seal's status changed from vulnerable to endangered. Bearded seals and harp seals are now considered near threatened.
Why is this happening? The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world. This destroys the ice seals depend on for survival. Increased shipping, mining, oil extraction, industrial fishing and hunting also contribute to the problem.
Bird populations are declining worldwide too. The IUCN reports 11.5 percent of evaluated bird species are at risk. That's over 11,000 species. A concerning 61 percent of all bird species show decreasing populations, up from 44 percent in 2016. Destruction of tropical forests poses one of the most serious threats to birds.
There is some positive news though. The green sea turtle is no longer endangered. Decades of targeted conservation efforts worked. Their population grew by 28 percent since the 1970s.
This situation shows how climate change hits Arctic species hardest. The rapid warming threatens entire ecosystems while some conservation efforts actually deliver results.